The Squid's Ear Magazine


Sa, Joana & Luis Jose Martins: Almost a Song (Shhpuma)

A beautiful collaboration between Luis Jose Martins on classical guitar, percussion & electronics, and Joan Sa on piano, toy piano, celestra, idiophones & electronics, gentle music that's nearly a song, but actually sophisticated, textured, and lovely contemporary improvisation.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Joan Sa-piano, toy piano, celestra, idiophones, electronics

Luis Jose Martins-classical guitar, percussion, electronics


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




UPC: 5609063800043

Label: Shhpuma
Catalog ID: SHH004
Squidco Product Code: 20353

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2013
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at Escola de Musica do Converaorio Macional de Liboa in August, 2012, by Sergio Milhano.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Nearly. Nearly a song, somewhat familiar. Nearly comfortable, almost fulfilling. The melody stays ever-open, indefinite, and then the song departs, breaks, never arrives. It's not surrender, it's a game, open to the listener. The avant-garde replaced musical statements with this new desire to offer something to the ear: the sustained notes of the "Sarabanda" never lodging in the periphery of memory, the dissolving of pitch into percussion, the repetition of musical cells, the loops, the ever different superimposed patterns, the changing textures and the suspension of climax... but for how long? Almost a Song is still a duo. And not only between guitar and piano. This in spite of the electroacoustic ramifications and of the instruments being - without losing the acoustic strength of their gestures- sometimes nearly swallowed by their own sound.

Joana Sá and Luís José Martins formed a duo in 2000 dedicated to the interpretation of contemporary music. They have developed numerous projects together amongst which the collective POWERTRIO with harpist Eduardo Raón. Luís José Martins is a member of the group Deolinda and Joana Sá has developed mostly solo work, namely Through this Looking Glass.

Artistic pathways converging at this game of pleasure and freedom which is Almost a Song."-Guilherme Proença



This album has been reviewed on our magazine:

The Squid
The Squid's Ear!

Artist Biographies

"Luís José Martins (born March 5 , 1978) is a Portuguese musician.

He is guitarist of the group Deolinda.

He studied at the National Conservatory of Lisbon, in France and in Castelo Branco, at the School of Applied Arts where he graduated in Music. He taught classical guitar at several conservatories in the country.

As a musician, he was a founding member of the group " Bicho de 7 cabezas ", PowerTrio and Deolinda."

-Wikipedia (Translated by Google) (https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lu’s_JosŽ_Martins)
6/25/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Cantiga De Amor 10:54

2. Rock Em Setembro 4:55

3. Cantiga, Partindo-Se 15:11

4. Die Wahnsinnige Forelle 5:07

5. Presque Sarabande - Quasi Una Fan 7:00

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
Duo Recordings
Clean Feed
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